Frequently Asked Questions about Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Treatment Overiew
Your first visit to our Center will consist of a 1.5 hour initial consultation. This consultation will include a complete medical history intake, followed by a treatment. The medical history intake begins with questions regarding your past and present health history, followed by a more detailed inquiry concerning dietary habits, exercise routine, sleep patterns, occupational demands, emotional status and the specific ways you care for your body.

The next step is the visual examination of your face, body, and tongue. Your practitioner can ascertain important diagnostic information from looking at the quality of your skin, hair, nails, eyes and tongue. By looking at your eyes, your practitioner can determine the strength of your “Shen.” This is another aspect of vitality that is reflected through your eyes, an expression of the spirit of your personality that shines through to the outer world. And lastly, the appearance of your tongue and its coating are significant diagnostic markers that echo health issues which have been historically recorded on your tongue’s surface.

Finally, your practitioner will palpate six pulses in each wrist, a total of twelve pulses, corresponding to the twelve main meridians or energetic pathways of the body. The meridians govern particular surface areas of the body and are responsible for maintaining specific bodily functions. The quality of the twelve pulses reflects the state of the body’s overall energy and health.

All of the information gathered during the consultation will help your practitioner create a personalized healthcare program for you. Once your practitioner determines where the imbalances are in your system, she will choose Acupuncture points that will help reestablish your internal balance. The Acupuncture points work in concert and when needled send a clear message to the body to initiate the healing response and create homeostasis.

What will I experience during treatment?
The actual treatment consists of the insertion of thin, sterile needles into Acupuncture points along the meridian pathways on the front and the back of the body. The needle insertion is often painless, producing a warm, tingling or heavy sensation. The needles are left in the body from 10-30 minutes, during which time most clients feel a heightened sense of relaxation. Needle shy clients have remarked that the treatment experience is very comfortable and enjoyable.

How often should I schedule treatment?
The duration of treatment depends on the nature of the complaint, the client’s general health and the influence of their lifestyle on their bodily functions.  Treatments may be scheduled as often as several times per week, or as infrequently as once per month. Chronic conditions may require sustained treatment, while acute conditions may be resolved in a few sessions. Each treatment builds upon the previous session and over time a more balanced body gradually becomes the normal state. Clients who have reached a desirable level of health may choose to have Acupuncture “tune-ups,” when stress has built up, during the holidays, after extensive travel, or before a season’s change to help the body maintain balance during times of unusual stress.